Drying wet seed-cotton



\ UNITED STATESPATENT orrIcE GEORGE c. HENRY, OF MOBILE, L BA A, F i

DRYING WET SEED-COTTON;

w Specification of Letters Patent No. 26,353,- dated Ibeoemben c ress.

' To. all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, GEORGE G. HENRY, of state, by the time it is necessaryto prepare the city and county of Mobile, in the State for the succeeding crop! The wholeofacrop, 1, of Alabama, have invented a new and usethus picked, is much reduced.i'n value, and 60 5 ful Improvement in the Art of Saving Cotfrom the class it jwould be in, ifthis terrible ton, of which the following is a full, clear, mode were avoided. Even withall thishaste, and exact description, reference being had oftentimes when the time to prepareifor} to the accompanying drawing, which makes planting comes around, muchcottoniremains. part of this specification, and which repreunpicked in the field, and no matter how365 sents a view in perspective of my drying valuable it may be, itjis totally abandoned. house or closet, a portion of one of the side Sometimes even whenjthe Cr p i t 3kg? l walls being broken, away to show the arthe rainy weather continues so long thatthe rangement of the apparatus contained therecotton is. injured in. many waysifand the Q in, and one of the drawers being partially planter is compelled to abandon it. In 70.1 drawn out to show the details of its conshort, the loss to the planCQr, occasioned by st-ruction. the present mode of saying the crop,is f In order to show the advantages and lTleIlSB, besides that s d y i? Q Il-QQ profitableness of my improvement I will de- Sumel W110 P C SQ geq smade f th I. scribe so much of the present mode of pickweakened fib -X 1 is 3180 Ob i u that there ing and saving the cotton crop, with its atmust e many occasionsduring the picking tendant disadvantages and losses, as relates Season Wh n p a ions a p n ed ildmi to the subject matter of my invention. ppr h ns o f n the consequent in-jw As during the picking season, days and y d y th i Q Wh n;Q 1 hQ.m A sometimes weeks of wet and cloudy weather Pl h e 'TSQ he? @137 e her i lll -I intervene, the planter is compelled to. get his 9$ 3. much mor QQt O .I igh h e e n! crop out as rapidly as possible while the P 5 n 86110113 a noy c 5 W I. f0 H l. weather permits. The cotton, if damp or. o died, p p T] f T. a wet when picked, is spread ona scaffold P 7 Y mxnew d l q i almost entirely i pared for that purpose. If, when this soafh I SS 1n quantity, quality and value,*andf 1 fold is full, it still continues, or threatens, enable the planter to oifer'to jconsurnersanf to rain the operation of picking is necessa- M 3 in g t m a u frerfrom ei' x rily suspended, lest the cottonshould rot beratlon iu y by Wet s owingwor ginning; fore the return of weather in which to dry ong eXposilre t0 the elements; To .1 1 it sufficiently for the purposes of housing, accomplish these ob ects I construct a house ginning or spinning. Much injury and loss 0103813 fany l 3 I'l?Ll d$ is however sustained by picking when wet, in h hr l cs lghtlj? closed (WIth the. 6X7. the hope. of dry weather disappointed in 0947131011 015 Small holes'lfn r t roof for the which itbecomes weakened orrotted because escape of he Vapor, produced by the evap it is stowed away when not sufiiciently dried. oration f the moi u Q t in hej 4 When large quantities of opened cotton are 001313011) n the ur pabl f ngj t j. left in the field, on account of the weather Closed as h ina r fi p ibd: dlllitliinfihls continuing too wet to dry it, much of it is 5 Hi eri s Of drawers 01 Shelves, upon necessarily blown out of the bolls and lost, which the wet seed-co t fl j t0 Qd P itBd, or by long exposed to rain, dust, and smoke, re ge i su h ma ner t a t11ey1can 9 is much discolored and apt to be weakened e i y be slid 0111; f litafethe" l in it fiber, making a low class of cotton dBPOSitiOII d I' X fi f1 hQ t H- y. t which sells in the market for much less than By means of suitable pipes or flues ithe the price it would have commanded if not room i heated to a l i l gr y. 3 i subjected to this long exposure. Besides, in the cotton as rapidly as maybe necessary. 105 M the rich bottom lands, where the crops are Atemperature of from 1 20 9to130,]';lahrengenerally very heavy, the certainty of this heit, will be found suflicientlyi high for all: interruption to their picking by the weather, practical purposes, and it p recommended j and the probability of their being forced to that the latter degree ofheat should notfbgef abandon much of the cotton, induce the plantexceeded. This matter can readily be regua, 9 ers to recklessly rush in their crop, gathering lated by placing awindow in one side offthe .1

in their haste stems, bolls, &c., with the cotton closet and suspending a thermometer within}: H

that they may get it out,jeyen it in such position that it can be seen through it; and by cutting off the supply of heat when it exceeds the limit fixed.

As the cotton which is picked when wet is brought in from the field it is placed upon one of the drawers, which when full is run into the house, and another is drawn out and filled and returned; this process being repeated until all the cotton is so placed. These drawers are so constructed that when run into the house, they tightly close up its front, so as to prevent any undue waste of heat. This latter may be derived from the waste heat orsteam of the engine, where one is used upon the plantation, or from any suitable heating apparatus where an engine is not used.

It may perhaps not be out of place to remark here that it is desirable to protect the cotton as it is picked from moisture as much as can conveniently be done, and to this end each hand when going into the field might be furnished with an india-rubber or oil cloth with which to cover his basket and protect the picked cotton from the rain of the day. Y

The accompanying drawing represents a convenient arrangement for carrying out my improved process. The building may be of any material preferred by the constructor. Its dimensions will of course vary with the average size of the crop, the only point to be regarded being that it shall possess sufficient capacity to contain all the cotton picked during a single day. The roof (B) may be extended in front of the main body of the building and have its projecting end supported by pillars (C). r This extension of the roof forms a'convenient shelter for protecting the cotton when the drawers are run out during rainy weather. The drawers are run in and out upon a strong framework (D) erected inside of the building in such manner as to leave suflicient space between the framework and walls for the passage of the attendant around the framework. This framework supports several tiers or ranges of horizontal beams or stringers (d) arranged parallel to each other and to the side walls of the building. These stringers are framed in pairs, and must have inserted in them strong rollers (d) upon which the drawers may slide. Their distance apart vertically is regulated by the depth of the drawers (E) which should be about six inches. The drawers and framework being made to fit snugly close up so much of the front or fourth side as they occupy, the remainder being closed up in similar manner to the other three sides. The frame (D) is to be built proportionately strong to allow of drawers about three feet wide, six inches deep, and eighteen feet long (which would be the largest size of drawers that could conveniently be used to run in and out with one drawer and the bottom of the one next above it, and also between the sides of the drawers to admit of the heat passing between them, which will render it necessary that where the drawers run side by side each one should run upon its own stringers separately. The frame of the drawer must be made sufliciently strong to prevent it from sagging with theweight of the cotton. The bottom and sides may be made of perforated sheet-metal. Tubes of metal or wooden slats might also be used for this purpose; the object being to admit the free circulation of the heat through the cot-ton. A three legged stand may be provided having hooks opposite each drawer to catch upon the handles when the drawer is run out.

The hot-air or steam pipes (F) may enter the room near to, but not touching the ground, and pass backward and forward in a coil under or around the drawers, in such manner as may be deemed most advantageous. A door may be provided for the entrance of the tender or attendant.

As the wet seed cotton is brought in fromthe field, the drawers are run out one at a time, filled, and returned to their places, until the days picking is, in this way deposited. The hot air or steam upon being permitted to flow through the pipes, gradually evaporates the moisture contained in the cotton, which moisture is permitted to escape through holes (a) in the roof or walls. The attendant can readily ascertain the tempera ture by means of a thermometer suspended within the closet; and regulate the supply of hot air or steam accordingly. The cotton may be removed from the drawers as soon as dried; or the heat may be shut off and the cotton allowed to remain until required for ginning or spinning.

It is obvious that the mechanism above described may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of my invention; but as variousmethods of applying such variations to the accomplishment of the object sought to be attained would readily suggest themselves to the intelligent constructor, any further reference to them is deemed unnecessary here.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The application of artificial heat to the purpose of drying wet seed-cotton by means of mechanism substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

GEO. e. HENRY.

W. S. CLARY. 

